Danish ex-defence minister accused of sharing state secrets

Former Danish Defence Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen announced on Friday that he faces accusations of disclosure or sharing state secrets.

The ex-minister made this known in a written statement on Friday, according to concurring media reports about his conservative liberal party Venstre (Left).

He could confirm that there were accusations against him under criminal section 109, which applies to exceeding the limits of his freedom of expression, he wrote, according to the statement.

He had spoken as a member of parliament on a political matter and had nothing to add. The conservative politician did not say exactly what confidential information was involved.

Section 109 is about disclosing or passing on state secrets, but it is rarely used in Denmark. Recently, however, it also played a role in the case of the suspended head of the Danish military intelligence service FE, Lars Findsen.

In custody

Findsen is currently in custody. What his case is specifically about is also unclear.

However, various Danish media reported on Thursday that lawyers had come to the conclusion that Frederiksen could also be accused in a case concerning cooperation on surveillance matters between Denmark and the US National Security Agency (NSA).

Frederiksen, who was defence minister from 2016 to 2019, has confirmed this cooperation several times.